The Amnesiac Absol versus Kanto's Controllers
by IronicSnap
Summary: An Absol finds himself in the old land of Kanto. Something has gone horribly wrong; humanity has disappeared - judging from the wreckage, they're not just on holidays - and the Psychic Pokémon have seized brutal control of the region. As Absol explores the area, he tries to avoid the authorities hounding him... but perhaps there's more he needs to do here than merely survive.
1. Thud

_**Thud**_.

It was an unceremonious beginning, especially considering the magnitude and importance of what was to come. It certainly would have been nice and dramatic if there had been a more impressive noise; a bang, a crackle, perhaps the slow, piercing wail of the universe grinding against itself in a way that's definitely not supposed to happen. But the process was silent, so the only noise to begin this adventure was the _**thud**_ of Absol hitting the floor.

For a few moments, he lay still, practically unconscious. After a time, he regained his senses somewhat. He then lay still for a longer stretch of time, because all his senses told him was a confusing bundle of conflicting, jarring data that ultimately just made him nauseous.

Eventually, Absol gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand upright. His legs creaked and shook, unwilling to support his weight just yet. He sucked in a few lungfuls of air, trying to clear his head. Thankfully, it was relatively successful, and he felt his mind calm itself, his sharp senses focusing, returning to their usual state.

He opened his red eyes, and his pupils immediately reacted to the light which trickled in the broken windows of the small building he was in. Only natural, since it had been dark when... when...

Absol's gaze unfocused and he exhaled slightly in confusion. What had he just been doing? He didn't seem to be able to recall. He tried to remember.

A panic began to rise in him, first creeping around the edges of his being, then gathering momentum as time passed, before firing powerfully through him, rooting him to the ground. As hard as he tried – and in his increasing desperation, he was trying _very_ hard – he couldn't remember a single thing about his past. He couldn't remember what he had been doing five years ago, or five days ago, or even five minutes ago. Beyond when he struck the ground a few moments ago, his mind was empty.

What followed were a few moments of aimless fear and panic, which Absol mostly spent huddled in the corner of the large room he found himself in. Given that little progress was made on Absol's part during this time, now would be as good a time as any to describe his surroundings. He was indoors, in what was once someone's home. There was only one room, which contained a door to outside, a desk with a computer, and a large machine spanning the back wall.

However, the building was in a state of considerable disrepair. The door was still in its frame, but the hinges seemed to be broken, the door leaning lifelessly against its frame. The desk was upturned, and the monitor lay on the floor, its screen shattered. The actual computer itself wasn't in the room. The machine was large and sturdy, and so remained in one piece, but it was clear that no-one had touched it in a long time. In fact, that was true of the entire house – it was obviously abandoned, left dilapidated.

It was after a few minutes of fruitless anxiety that Absol hit upon an idea. He knew nothing of the past, that much was true, but what did he know of the present? He quickly looked around, hoping to see something which would give him an indication of where he was, or more importantly, who he was.

He was in a house. That wasn't immensely useful in of itself. However, he realized that merely recognizing his surroundings as a house was something of a clue. He'd been in houses before then, hadn't he? Was he a Trainer Pokémon? Even if he wasn't, he must have had some relationship to humans.

He tried to determine more. He briefly examined himself. He didn't find any injuries or items, just his own white fur and dark claws. Well, that was something, he supposed. He was definitely an Absol.

At this, he felt something come back to him. His name _was_ Absol. He couldn't remember having a nickname beyond that, but that didn't worry him. He felt as though he had never had one to begin with; he was fine with simply being Absol. Yes, that sounded right.

Absol sighed, feeling at last some degree of relief. He was on the right track. This method at least gave him some information about himself.

Unfortunately, there was not much more information he could extract. He was from Hoenn genetically, but born in Johto. He was reasonably powerful, given that he could easily push around the upturned desk. He had a Trainer, or at least he was used to working with humans... not that he could remember any.

That was probably his best option. Humans were advanced technologically, so perhaps he could find one with the expertise to help him. They had machines that could heal any injury in seconds, so a spot of amnesia would be easy for them to cure, surely.

What was certain was that there weren't any humans in this abandoned cottage, and it was unlikely that any would just wander by. So Absol inhaled slowly, stretched himself, and pushed past the door into the outside world.

The noise of the door falling slowly forward and bouncing off the earth was suitably anti-climatic, fitting nicely with the view. Absol had assumed that it was only the cottage that was ruined, but the outside area around it was similarly decrepit. The grass was trampled and browning, and the pools of water opposite the cottage looked stagnant.

Absol looked around, deciding which direction to travel in. The decision, it turned out, was already made for him by nature. To the south and east was the sea, blocked off by a rotting fence. To his north was a large, sheer rock face. That left west as the only traversable direction.

Absol set off down what seemed to have been a country road. There was something of a maze nearby, formed out of trees. Beyond that, the road turned sharply to the south. When he reached the fork, Absol could see what looked like a human town on the other side of a long bridge over a river. He smiled absently, the first outward sign of happiness he'd shown since arriving.

He crossed the bridge carefully, just in case the aged wood would have difficulty bearing his weight. As he did so, he belatedly realized how crushingly silent the area was. He hadn't heard any indication of Pokémon in the area, which was certainly unusual. He also hadn't seen or heard any sign of humans, beyond the cottage – and that was so old and neglected, it could have been decades since any humans had been by. He tried not to let this epiphany unnerve him. He was probably just in a sparsely populated area. It wouldn't be long until he found someone to help him.

As he traversed the bridge, he noticed a cave across the river to the west. From the outside, it was fairly nondescript; just a small patch of land which contained a jagged hole in the mountain face, large enough for anyone to easily walk in. But although there was no outward evidence to suggest there was anything wrong about it, something about it put Absol on edge. He had a suspicion that it was somehow important. He eventually disregarded it. Chances were, he was still disorientated, and just over-reacting to nothing. Despite his attempts to reassure himself, he was glad to move past it.

The bridge ended, leaving him in the northeast corner of a moderately large town. A weathered sign welcomed him, informing him that the town was name "Cerulean City". There were a few houses nearby, but Absol's red eyes sought out and focused on a specific target – the Pokémon Centre. He broke into a run as he went to the centre of the town, hopping over a ledge to get at the front door. He pushed his way into the medical facility hopefully.

The sight he was met with was disturbing. Pokémon Centres, being medical marvels and the epicentre of most towns, are a far cry from a cottage out by the sea in terms of importance. But, just like the cottage, the Pokémon Centre was completely ruined. The furniture was battered and torn, strewn around the floor. The computer was smashed even more badly than the cottage's. The large, comforting machine which normally sat behind the main desk and provided healing was nowhere to be found.

Also missing was the slightest trace of anyone, human or Pokémon.

Absol probably would have panicked at this point. However, he had already spent a significant amount of his day thus far panicking, so he decided it was an unproductive use of his time. Instead, he lay down on the floor, facing the door just in case, and considered things.

Something very strange had happened. He put aside his amnesia for the moment; there were more pressing matters to deal with now. The humans were missing. A single abandoned cottage was one thing, but an entire city being deserted was another matter entirely. He didn't have to explore the other buildings to know that humanity had left this settlement. After all, if there were any people remaining, they would have at the very least cleaned the Pokémon Centre, if not repaired it completely. No, they were gone – the question was, to where, and why?

He pondered for some time, but being neither a philosopher nor a detective, he didn't succeed in finding a suitable explanation for the increasingly dire and bizarre situation he found himself in. He was a creature less of thought and more of action, and that was the reason he leapt to his feet when he heard a noise outside.

After spending so much time in suffocating silence, Absol welcomed any noise, even the sound of agitated yelling. Yet even his fearful isolation didn't dull his naturally cautious nature, so he didn't rush outside to run straight into whatever was unfolding. Instead, he crept up to the door and peered out.

There were three Pokémon approaching the building next to the Centre, which seemed to be the town's Gym. At the front was a Victreebel, his face haggard and bags under his eyes. He moved slowly, leading the other two. They were a Persian who seemed anxious, and a Ninetails who was glared distrustfully at the Victreebel. Absol noted how close the Persian and Ninetails were walking next to each other.

"Again, I'm sorry about this," the Victreebel was saying, his voice as tired as his face would suggest. "But to pass through here, you must get the permission of the governor. Those are the rules."

"But that's completely ridiculous!" snapped the Ninetails. She was clearly enraged. "All we're doing is passing through. We're not even stopping here!"

The Victreebel sagged a little further than he already was doing. "Look, I don't make the rules here. Please, don't get me in trouble. I'm on thin ice as it is."

The Persian lay a consoling paw on the Ninetail's shoulder. "It's not his fault, Montoya. There's no point in getting angry at him."

Montoya gave a bitter chuckle. "Wise as ever. I should be getting angry at the governor."

The Persian gave a rueful smile. "As much as I love that wit of yours, I can only hope it doesn't get us into any more trouble than we're already in."

"If you'd follow me?" prompted the Victreebel, holding open the door. The Persian and Ninetails shared a final look before entering.

From his vantage point, Absol nodded to himself. So, there was some form of government here. Better than nothing, and certainly a good start to finding out just what he had stumbled into.

Still cautious and wary, Absol softly crept the short distance to the Gym's entrance, and ducked inside.


	2. The Governor

The inside of the Gym was somewhat more orderly than the other buildings than Absol had visited. Somehow, he didn't find that completely comforting.

He expected to be immediately noticed upon entering, but the attentions of the Pokémon in the room were all focused elsewhere. He took advantage of this and slunk into a corner, blending as well as he could with the shadows. From there, he observed the Gym and its occupants.

The majority of the building was taken up with a swimming pool. The water looked cleaner than the pools outside had, not that that was an achievement. Wooden planks led from near the door to the other side of the pool. The Victreebel was leading the Persian and Ninetails along the planks. Both seemed nervous, but the Ninetails was moving especially carefully; understandable, really. Absol saw that there were three Pokémon assembled on the other end of the planks – a Starmie seated in a rusting life-guard's chair, a Staryu standing placidly to its right, and an Abra floating disinterestedly to the left.

"Wilson," commanded the Starmie sharply. Absol assumed it was the governor previously referred to. "What is the meaning of this? Who are these?"

"Travellers, sir," replied the Victreebel meekly. "They're humbly asking for passage through Cerulean City."

Absol could hear the pompous tones of the Starmie easily enough, but the quieter voice of 'Wilson' was harder to discern. Despite the risk, he decided to creep up closer. Thankfully, there was a strip of flooring around the edges of the Gym, allowing Absol to get closer without having to enter the water.

"Ha, I see!" The Starmie turned enthusiastically to the Abra. "This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate to the administration how efficiently we operate here in Cerulean."

If the Abra had the slightest interest in the proceedings, she didn't show it. She hadn't even opened her eyes.

The Starmie cleared its throat. "Well. State your names."

"Hello, your Governor...ship?" began the Persian. "My name is Felix. This is Montoya."

The Ninetails gave a venomous "Hmm."

"And just what are your travel plans?" asked the Starmie.

"Well, we've come from Saffron, and we're trying to visit some friends by the Rock Tunnel," explained Felix calmly, as Montoya continued to glare at the Starmie. "We won't even be stopping here. We'll move straight on. As soon as you allow it, of course," he finished with a nervous smile.

"Hmm, is that so?" murmured the Starmie absently. Absol, now almost at the far side of the pool, began to relax slightly. He chided himself for being so paranoid; this situation didn't seem that hostile. He considered how to sneak all the way back to the door, so as to not startle the governor. Starting on the wrong foot wouldn't be useful in the slightest.

Starmie went to say something, but the Abra spoke up in a calm, quiet voice. "Why here?"

Felix blinked, a little too quickly. "Excuse me?"

"Why pass through here? It's more direct to travel east from Saffron, and then go north."

"Well, yes," admitted Felix. "But the road to Lavender Town was bloc-"

"Aha!" yelled the Starmie, sitting up. "So you admit to trying to access Lavender Town!"

"Of course we do!" snapped Montoya. "You just asked us if we did!"

"If I was in your position, I'd address your superiors with a bit more respect," snarled Starmie. "Especially considering that you're now suspected of collaborating with those Ghost scum."

"What? No, that's not it at all," said Felix – again, just a little bit too quickly to be believable. "Like I said, we're -"

"Visiting friends who live in Rock Tunnel," said Starmie. "Of course you are. Rock Tunnel is just _so_ populated."

Absol was by now behind the Starmie. The others still hadn't noticed him, and he was thankful not to be involved in the increasingly unfriendly scene unfolding before him. He tested the window of the Gym with a paw, wondering if he could escape through it if needs be.

"We don't need to listen to you!" yelled Montoya defiantly. "We'll pass through this town with or without your damn permission!"

"Wrong on both counts," said the governor gravely. The genderless Pokémon drew itself to its full height, standing on the chair. "You _do_ need to listen to me, and you're _not_ going to leave this town. At all. I think it's time for you to get a little reminder of why we are are **in charge!**"

With those final two words, the Starmie's central gem began to glow brightly. Felix's eyes widened and he jumped in front of Montoya, but the Starmie merely laughed derisively in response.

"Staryu, Wilson, prepare to lynch these dullards on my command," it said. The Staryu obediently and silently stood taller, but the Victreebel seemed far more indecisive, merely frowning worriedly at his targets. Montoya growled at him, which did little to motivate him further.

Absol's eyes widened. He didn't know what Starmie had in mind, but judging from Felix's reaction something very bad was about to happen. His better judgement told him not to intervene – that it was safer to seize this opportunity to run, and just leave the travellers to their fates.

Thus, it was against his better judgement that he leaped off the edge of the pool, crossed the short distance to Starmie, and slammed full force into the governor's back.

The two Pokémon fell forward in a tumble, barely staying on the wooden planks. The others looked on amazed as Absol sank his teeth into one of Starmie's ten limbs. The governor cried out in pain, surprise, and no small amount of indignation.

Starmie twisted in Absol's grasp and fired a beam of psychic energy at him. Absol released his grip and took a step back, but was barely injured. He sprung forward again, slashing into Starmie with his claws.

Again, Starmie fired, and again, Absol backed up a step. However, Absol didn't watch his footing and slipped off the boards into the water below.

Absol would have merely climbed out again, but something felt different. The first Psychic attack had little to no effect, but after the second, something clicked. He felt as though his memory had come back to him, if only slightly. It was only a matter of concentrating and

_Fire. Darkness. Fighting. A man screaming. "__**Now! **__Do it now! Before they break through the-" Glass shatters. __**"Oh, Ar-!"**_

Absol's eyes unfocused and he began to sink into the water. In his stupor, he hadn't even closed his mouth, and the air in his lungs began leisurely slipping away from him.

Starmie, its attacker staved off for now, lowered itself to the floor and exhaled painfully. "Who's that Pokémon?!" it angrily demanded.

No-one answered. Starmie looked around questioningly. Felix and Montoya had seized the moment and had ganged up on Staryu, slashing him repeatedly with their claws. The silent Pokémon had almost fainted. The Abra was nowhere in sight. That just left Wilson quietly watching Starmie, his expression unreadable.

"Wilson, get over here!" it snapped. "Help me, you brainless twerp!"

At this, Wilson's face took on a more definite expression.

It hardened.

"Don't make faces at me! I require your assistance!" continued Starmie, failing to comprehend what was about to happen. Wilson suddenly shot several leaves forward, which dug harshly into Starmie. The governor let out one final cry before falling unconscious.

Meanwhile, the Staryu had also been defeated. Felix let go of it, and Montoya distastefully batted it into the pool.

Felix looked around, searching for Absol. "Where's the white Pokémon who helped us?" he wondered.

"Um," said a voice. Felix looked to Wilson, who was pointing helplessly to the small collection of bubbles visible just where Absol had fallen into the pool.

Felix's eyes widened, and he had hardly processed the thought before he had jumped into the water to retrieve Absol. Montoya went to the water's edge, prepared to help lift Absol out. She shot Wilson a suspicious glance, but he raised his leaves defensively.

Felix emerged seconds later, pushing Absol upwards and out of the water. Absol was still disorientated, but his survival instincts were kicking in regardless of his AWOL mind. He pawed uselessly for ground, for air, and Montoya helped him climb on to the boards.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Burning," gasped Absol. "They – they can't arrive. Have to stay back just a little longer. Need to do it now."

Montoya eased him on to the platform and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "That's nice, dear."

Felix followed shortly afterwards, gracefully pulling himself out of the water. "Well that went well," he grimaced.

"We have to leave," said Wilson urgently. "They're going to come back. Maybe even within the next few seconds!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Montoya.

"The Abra!" replied Wilson. "I saw it teleport away! It's gone to tell someone about how the governor was attacked!"

Felix nodded. "I see. We should leave then." He tapped Absol. "Hey, buddy. Are you okay to walk? We need to get out of here now." Absol coughed, but managed to nod and stand up.

"What did I tell you?" asked Montoya as they ran towards the door. "We'll be in Lavender Town in no time."

"No!" called Wilson, running after them.

Montoya whirled around, snarling. "What's this? Do you think you can stop us?"

"Quite the opposite. I helped you back there, if you didn't notice," retorted Wilson, his patience wearing thin. "No, the reason you can't go to Lavender Town is that that's what they'll be expecting. We won't make it through Rock Tunnel in time, they'll have caught up before then."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" asked Felix.

"Mount Moon," replied Wilson after a brief pause. "We can hide there. There's a chance we can avoid detection, at least until the search calms down. Then we can move more freely."

"What's this 'we' garbage?" asked Montoya pointedly. "I don't remember inviting you."

"Please, calm down," said Felix soothingly. "He's just trying to help, and he knows what he's talking about."

"And if it's a trap?"

Felix shrugged. "Frankly, I'd say we're screwed either way. At least, if he _is _honest, we have a chance."

Montoya seemed unconvinced. Felix lay a paw gently over hers. She sighed, rolling her eyes. "_Fine_. Come along. But one false move and I'll barbecue you."

"Oh boy," said Wilson flatly. "This is so much better than working for the governor. How can I ever repay you?"

Absol shook his head, clearing it slightly of both bad memories and water. "Are we going or what?" he prompted.

The three others shared looks, then nodded. With that they hurriedly exited the Gym, leaving the two starfish Pokémon where they lay.


End file.
